The Watcher review: This Netflix series is gripping only in parts and over-reliant on twists

Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale play the lead role in this Ryan Murphy series based on a true story

The Watcher

Story: Dean (Bobby Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts) move into their dream home, 657 Boulevard, in Westfield along with their two children, Ellie (Isabel Gravitt) and Carter (Luke David Blumm). However, their worst nightmare comes true when they begin to receive eerie and threatening letters from a stalker who calls himself The Watcher. Though the Brannocks seek help from the local police department in identifying the sender, they make no headway. To make matters worse, they are surrounded by a host of mysterious and spooky characters, making all of them potential suspects. Will the Brannocks ever find the stalker?

Review: The latest Netflix series The Watcher is based on a real-life story about a couple who bought a sprawling six-bedroom house at New Jersey’s Westfield, only to receive threatening letters from a stalker who knew everything about the house and the family, especially the children. Their case was first documented by Reeves Wiedeman for the New York magazine in 2018. Now, Ryan Murphy, who is riding high on the success of his true-crime series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, has revisited the case and created a seven-episode series that not only deviates from the true story it is pegged on but focuses more on the many subplots, rendering it a little longer than required.

The series begins with a shot of a family driving along a street with beautiful and massive houses on both sides. We are introduced to Dean and Nora Brannock who buy 657 Boulevard as soon as they see it. However, Dean and Nora are not as affluent as they appear to be. Dean, who works at an insurance company, ends up exhausting all his savings and retirement funds in order to pay a huge down payment. He is showcased as a man who is willing to go to any extent to fulfil the dreams of his wife and children and protect them from any harm. In fact, after a series of untoward incidents in the house, his son Carter asks him, “Dad, can you keep us safe?” The first two episodes portray Dean as a ‘true patriarch’ who gets annoyed if his 16-year-old daughter applies the slightest tint of lipstick or if her shirt hung off her shoulder, leaving her bra strap visible. Whereas, Nora’s character is underwritten and the creators have hardly spent enough time exploring her background or her career as an artist.

The Watcher is packed with eccentric, bizarre and creepy characters like the neighbours – Mitch (Richard Kind) and Mo (Margo Martindale). They do not hide their displeasure with the Brannocks moving in. Then there is, Pearl Winslow (Mia Farrow), a member of the town’s preservation society, and her differently-abled brother Jasper (Terry Kinney), whose fascination with the house, especially the dumbwaiter, makes him the prime suspect in the eyes of the Brannocks. Jennifer Coolidge plays Karen, a real estate agent and Nora’s friend. From the very first episode, it is evident that Karen has her own motive, which unravels as the narrative moves ahead. Noma Dumezweni plays Theodora Birch, a private detective whom Dean hires to find out the identity of the stalker. We get an insight into the backgrounds of these characters, but they have hardly any bearing on the core narrative of the series. Moreover, several questions are left unanswered and the many subplots will leave one confused and frustrated.

Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan have taken creative liberties and created a story that is more fictional than real. To begin with, the real owners of 657 Boulevard, Derek and Maria Broaddus, never lived in the house. They received the letters when they were refurnishing the house after buying it for a whopping $1.3 million. The content of the letters was terrifying and referred to their three children as “young blood”. The first letter read, “Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out.” The Broaddus mainly suspected their neighbours. Many even believed that it was Derek who wrote the letters as he couldn’t afford the house. This story could have been made into a thrilling film or a limited series but the multiple twists that are incorporated into the narrative affect the viewing experience. There is mention of religious cults, infidelity, and Satanism that find no relevance in the final episodes.

The only saving grace in the series is its cast. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale essays convincing performances in their respective roles. Cannavale manages to stir a range of emotions in the audience with his performance. Another performance worth mentioning is that of Noma Dumezweni who is just perfect for the role of the sleuth.

Verdict: The Watcher would have worked better as a film than a seven-episode series. In the end, the story feels very repetitive and the climax is unsatisfying. Unless you are an ardent fan of Ryan Murphy’s works, you can skip this one.

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